Join The Nicholson Project in celebrating the opening of Song of Sons, a new public art installation by Nate Langston Palmer. This dynamic public art series features two key installations and a series of smaller works connecting both sites. On May 14th from 7:30-9pm, join us at The Wharf to view two building-size photographs wrapping the corner of 800 9th Street SW, along with a brand new video work projected nightly from 7pm to 7am through September 28th, 2025.

Event Details
Reception: 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Remarks and Artist Talk: 7:45pm
Dance Performance: 8:15pm

RSVP here: https://events.humanitix.com/song-of-sons-opening-dedication

Learn more: www.thenicholsonproject.org/song-of-sons

Join The Nicholson Project for a virtual artist talk with our Artist-in-Residence Njaimeh Njie (@en_jay_me), where she’ll share insights into her residency experience. Her practice centers everyday Black people, narratives, and landscapes. Focusing particularly on how the past shapes the present, Njie’s work consistently includes archival research, oral history collection, as well as nonfiction writing.

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Join local filmmaker Brenda Hayes for the premiere of her new film “Liberation - Lumpkin's Legacy.” From Mary Lumpkin to today's Black women who continue to fight systems of oppression through their art, activism, and community organizing. View the trailer here.

Click here for tickets.

This artist talk is postponed until January. Check back later for an update on the date and time!

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Join The Nicholson Project for an artist talk featuring artists Kyujin Lee, Madyha J. Leghari, and Thiang Uk in conversation alongside curator Thomas F. James, as they discuss their work in the current exhibition, Scorched Petals to Pages: Investigating Narratives at the Intersection of Image Making and Literature. This exhibition is on view September 7 through November 16, 2024. The gallery will be open to the public on Saturdays from 12-4 pm, Wednesdays 11am-3pm, and by appointment. Learn more about Scorched Petals to Pages here.

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As part of her residency, Julia Chon in collaboration with Korean American shaman Mudang Jenn will lead a 30-45 minute ritual at The Nicholson Project. This ritual will cleanse the space, with select audience members invited to participate. In the space, Julia will create an altar where visitors can bring small items in remembrance of their ancestors.

Join The Nicholson Project at Sandlot Georgetown for Dine All Night, a culinary kick-off for DC Art All Night. A portion of the proceeds will go to support The Nicholson Project! Drinks and Food by Takoma Station Tavern and Who Want Smoke Chargrilled Oysters.

RSVP HERE.

Join us at Eaton House DC for an artist talk with current Artist-in-Residence M. Florine Démosthène in conversation with Caitlin Berry, Inaugural Director of the Irene and Richard Frary Gallery at the John Hopkins University Bloomberg Center. Hear from Florine about her work which explores spirituality, identity, and the Black female form through vibrant mixed media abstractions and celestial imagery, and learn more about her residency at The Nicholson Project and upcoming projects.

RSVP HERE.

Join us for the opening reception presenting the exhibition Scorched Petals to Pages: Investigating Narratives at the Intersection of Image Making and Literature, curated by Thomas F. James, featuring artists Kyujin Lee, Madyha J. Leghari, and Thiang Uk.

Scorched Petals to Pages examines the dynamic relationships that exist between literature and image-making, and how they are utilized for storytelling, uncovering truths, and even spreading propaganda. The work in Scorched Petals to Pages explores historical messaging and protest art that can galvanize support for social movements, how one can examine their place in the world, and how linguistics can transcend the human experience. Audiences will be able to engage with interactive installations and poetry from writers from around the world. Learn more about Scorched Petals to Pages here.

RSVP here.

Join us at The Fillmore School Studios for the reception of Queer Altars, created by artist Stephanie Mercedes. Supported by a Community Grant from the Mayor's Office of LGBTQ Affairs, this project transformed decommissioned weapons into meaningful altars dedicated to addressing the impact of gun violence on DC’s LGBTQIA+ community. The unveiling will feature two altars created by melting down decommissioned bullets and firearms, transforming violence into art, and fostering spaces of remembrance and healing.

Thank you to the S&R Evermay Foundation for hosting the Queer Altars unveiling exhibition.

Part of the Queer Altars project, join us for a unique event where artist Stephanie Mercedes will transform decommissioned bullet casings into 3D reliefs for a small Queer Altar honoring biker Dzhoy Zuckerman. Dzoy Zuckerman tragically lost their life to gun violence in DC. Dzoy self identified as gender queer, loved the color purple and was an avid biker. This altar, crafted from melted weapons, symbolizes solidarity instead of focusing solely on lives lost to gun violence. The ceremony will take place in the parking lot at the Fillmore School.

RSVP here

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"Queer Altars" is supported by a Community Grant from the Mayor's Office of LGBTQ Affairs.

As a closeout to his residency, join The Nicholson Project for a virtual artist talk featuring Artist-in-Residence Nate Langston Palmer. Nate will share insights about his photography style, journey, and residency experience. He will also discuss his ongoing series, Song of Sons, which follows a dance crew in Washington, DC, composed of young Black men. This series documents the culture surrounding their unique style of dance, Beat-Ya-Feet, born in the DMV. Through this work, Nate explores their journey into adulthood, addressing issues of masculinity and societal conditioning through creative expression.

RSVP here.

Learn more about Nate Palmer’s work here.

During his residency, Nate Langston Palmer will continue working on his Song of Sons series at the SlushDay Dance Battle where some of DC's most talented dancers will go head to head in a family-friendly celebration of the city's dance culture and the founders of Beat-Ya-Feet, a style of dance born in the DMV. Click here to learn more about Nate.

Join us at The Nicholson Project for an Artist Talk featuring Artist-in-Residence Greg David. During the talk, Greg will provide insights into their creative process, current projects, research, and the inspirations that have shaped their artistic style and perspective, developed during their residency at The Nicholson Project. Greg’s work explores themes of grief, care, euphoria, and solitude, intertwining human emotion and personal experience with movement, persona, and visual abstraction. As a Black, queer, and non-binary femme, Greg specializes in character performance, textile production, world-building, and storytelling.

RSVP here.

Learn more about Greg David’s work here.

The Nicholson Project invites the LGBTQIA+ community to a gathering and workshop led by our current Artist-in-Residence, Stephanie Mercedes, as part of her new "Queer Altars" project. In this project, Mercedes hopes to reimagine how we can celebrate our queer community, moving away from the often-martyred representation. Participants who attend will have the option to pose for photographs that Mercedes will use in designing future Queer Altars that she will craft from melted weapons that will celebrate not the lives that have been lost to gun violence but instead each other. Light food and drinks will be provided.

RSVP here.

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"Queer Altars" is supported by a Community Grant from the Mayor's Office of LGBTQ Affairs.

The Great Persons Series fosters transformation, inspiration, and self-awareness through interactive exhibits and programs that bring history and social justice to life. Led by DC-based educator and dance artist, Chitra Subramanian, this series is designed for children ages 3-12 years old. Children and families will learn about George Washington Carver, Agronomist, scientist, and pioneer in sustainable farming.

There will be an enrichment activity at 1:00pm with Peter Lewis, Garden Manager at The Nicholson Project. Peter will lead a lesson that teaches children about sustainable farming and care for land through observation and art, to deepen our understanding about George Washington Carver's life purpose to educate his community about agronomy and self-sufficiency.

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Join The Nicholson Project for a public art bus tour of Mythic Futures with artist Antoine Williams! The tour is free and starts at the SW mural: 800 9th St SW, (the corner of 9th and Maine Street at the Wharf). We'll hear directly from Antoine about each of the four artworks, learn about his process, and take time to experience the artworks through sound and animation, brought to life via AR on Instagram!

Learn more and RSVP here.

Join us for an artist talk with exhibiting artists, Stephanie J. Williams and Monica Jahan Bose. In this talk, both artists will discuss and provide insight into their exhibitions The Pleasure of Wasted Time and Nourish: Storytelling with Saris, on view at The Nicholson Project from September 10th through November 4th.

RSVP here.

Learn more about The Pleasure of Wasted Time.

Learn more about Nourish: Storytelling with Saris.

The Great Persons Series fosters transformation, inspiration, and self-awareness through interactive exhibits and programs that bring history and social justice to life. Led by DC-based educator and dance artist, Chitra Subramanian, this series is designed for children ages 3-12 years old. Attendees will explore the life and achievements of Mary McLeod Bethune, powerful educator, activist for racial justice, and champion for women and girls.

There will be an enrichment activity at 1:00pm with rangers from the National Park Service representing the historic Mary McLeod Bethune Council House. They will share the rich and powerful legacy Mary McLeod Bethune leaves in DC, and will offer special hands-on resources to continue your learning at home.

RSVP here.